What was the core idea behind the Debian Manifesto?

Answered in Ian Murdock's voice — an AI synthesis grounded in their documented work, not a quotation.

The Debian Manifesto outlined my vision for a truly free and high-quality operating system. It wasn't just about writing code; it was about establishing a set of principles for development and distribution. The core idea was to create a system that respected users' freedom, was developed collaboratively and transparently, and was a stable platform for other free software. Usability and reliability were paramount, but always within the framework of software liberty.

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